The Concept Of Love
by It'sJustAKindOfMagic
Summary: Derek secretly likes Casey, but she's dating Noel. How will Derek convince Casey to break up with him, without revealing his true feelings?
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place after Season 3, Episode 9, Show Off Tune.**

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><p><strong>The Concept Of Love<strong>

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><p>"I like you."<p>

Those words froze Casey in her tracks. Her hand on the doorknob, about to leave the auditorium, foot in mid-step, almost anxious to leave.

Until now.

It was just straight out and up-front, no roses, no card, _nothing_. Then again, maybe Casey's standards were a _little _too high.

But with him, it was just...different. Like everything else, including her feelings, had been for the past few days.

Slowly, she turned around. Her eyes were fixed on Noel, who was fiddling with the play script in his hands.

For once in her life, she did not know what to say. If it were Derek talking to her, insulting her, she'd have a snappy comeback ready on the tip of her tongue.

But it _wasn't _Derek who was telling her that he _liked _her. That would just be wrong.

...Would it, though?

She shook her head. "Noel..." she started to say, as she tucked some loose hair behind her ear.

Noel shook his head, too. "No, Casey, I get it. We don't share the same feelings. It's totally understandable," he said, and started to walk away.

Casey grabbed his arm. It was a risky move.

Then, the unexpected happened. Casey leaned forward, and kissed him.

It was the best moment in her life.

Casey and Noel broke apart. "I like you, too, Noel," she whispered. He smiled.

And just like that, Casey left the empty auditorium.

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><p>He watched the whole thing happen from the side door.<p>

Derek gripped the metal handle of the door until his knuckles turned white. He looked down at the flower he had purchased from a local shopping centre.

He turned before the Noel guy could see him.

"Hey Derek, who's the flower for?" one of the guys on his hockey team asked him as they walked past.

Derek shook his head. "No one."

And just like that, he threw the flower into the garbage bin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I know I said this was originally going to be a one-shot, but I wanted to continue this story, even though it'll only be a short one. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :D**

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><p>Casey was really happy.<p>

She and Noel were now officially a couple, and they had arranged their first date together to be on this Saturday night.

"What are you smiling about?"

Casey rolled her eyes at the sound of her step brother's voice. "Nothing _you _would be interested in," she said indifferently, before being dragged away by an over-excited Emily.

"How could you not _tell _me?!" the girl shrieked as they reached their shared locker.

Casey jumped at her friend's reaction, "Tell you what?"

"That you and Noel are _dating_!" squealed Emily, much to the annoyance of the other Juniors around them.

She was about to respond when somebody bumped into her, hard, as they walked past. She was startled to see that it was Derek who had walked into her. He was storming off in the direction of the glass doors that led to the school carpark. It wasn't even lunch yet and Derek was already ditching?

"Emily!" Casey hissed at her friend, putting a hand over the hyper teen's mouth. "I don't want everybody to know about it yet. We haven't even been on a date!"

Emily finally calmed down. "Sorry. But, it's just so exciting! You and Max broke up _ages _ago, and you haven't been interested in anyone for such a long time. I haven't even heard of a guy named Noel in our grade. But listen, I _have _to help you get ready for your date on Saturday! I'll come over at 2 and we'll have a girls afternoon."

Casey beamed. "Okay, sure! It'll be a perfect time, because that's when Derek's off at his hockey game, Lizzie is at soccer with George, and Edwin's at a friends' house and mom will be working!"

"Excellent!" Emily replied, and the bell rang, indicating the start of lessons once again.

The two best friends bid each other goodbye and headed off to their separate classes.

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><p>Derek wasn't paying attention.<p>

It was Thursday afternoon, sixth period History. He _hated _History with a passion, and wondered what on earth he'd done to deserve this kind of torture-sitting in the hot, stuffy classroom, trying to find a way to entertain himself for the next hour and a half.

He looked over at his best friend Sam, who was busy taking notes on what the teacher was saying. He rolled his eyes. Typical nerd at heart, Sam was, but they both loved Hockey to death. Although Derek may not be smart, he remembered meeting Sam back in sixth grade, the first week of middle school was hard for him. Nobody wanted to be friends with Derek, and he was even getting picked on because of his weird personality and his freakishly long hair that almost made him look like a girl. Derek remembered being stupid enough to ask his father for advice on how to make friends, and with George being a dad, he had of course told Derek to just "be himself and other people will like him". _Hmph, some advice. _

"Derek?"

His head snapped up at the sound of his name, and his pen he was using to doodle with on his History notebook, slipped from his hand and dropped on the floor next to him. "Yeah?" around him, some classmates snickered at the "oh-so-great" Derek Venturi getting called on by his teacher.

"Can you tell me what year the Civil War started?"

Derek thought for a moment. "Um...the same year that John Bonham was born?"

Everybody laughed.

"Nice try, Derek. He ain't that old. Detention for you on Monday afternoon." Their teacher said simply, and continued on with the lesson.

Next to him, Sam just shook his head and laughed. Typical jock at heart, Derek was.

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><p>The end of the lesson couldn't have come any quicker for Derek. Unfortunately, on the way out, he was stuck behind a large group of people, who seemed to be taking their time packing their bags and talking to their friends. Derek wasn't one to wait.<p>

"Hey! Move it!" he said angrily, forcing his way past all the measly little teenagers that he could've easily beaten up if only the teacher wasn't in the room.

He made his way over to his locker, Sam had to go pick up his little sister from pre-kindergarten, and had said goodbye to Derek as he exited the building.

"Hey, dudes, didjya hear about Noel?" Derek was normally surrounded by people during the afternoon, and most of the time he ignored their conversations. But today was different, remembering Emily talk about this Noel guy earlier before. He pretended to be extremely interested in the contents of his messy locker, while the boys beside him talked.

"Yeah, I heard he landed this hot chick," one boy with sandy coloured hair was saying. "I think her name's Casey or somethin'."

Derek's ears perked up. He didn't care if they noticed him listening.

Another boy pulled a face. "That whiny little know-it-all? Geez, he could've gone for anyone better. I thought Noel was interested in _normal _girls."

"Well, maybe not this time," the sandy haired boy replied. "But she's hella hot, don't ya reckon? I could easily do her a few times. Bet she'd lap it up."

The group of boys laughed, turned, and left a fuming Derek standing by his locker.

He slammed the door shut, not paying attention to the weird looks he was receiving from the other students.

Well, it looked like he was going incognito on Saturday night.


End file.
